Two Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers were arrested on Tuesday over the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph from an office at Government Polytechnic Pune.
The arrests came a day after police registered a case against MNS leader Amit Thackeray, son of party chief Raj Thackeray, and others.
Police identified the arrested workers as Prashant Kanojia and Vikrant Bhilare. Senior Police Inspector Uttam Bhajanawale, in-charge of Chaturshringi police station, said, “We have arrested two persons in connection with the case. The accused Prashant Kanojia and Vikrant Bhilare have been remanded to police custody till September 4 for further investigation.”
According to a complaint by a college official, Thackeray, who heads the MNS student wing, visited the institute on Monday during a membership campaign and allegedly directed supporters to remove Modi’s photograph from an office wall. The photograph was displayed alongside a portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and photographs of Dr B R Ambedkar and President Droupadi Murmu.
The complaint alleged that Thackeray and his supporters entered the office without permission, removed the photograph, threatened staff, raised slogans and created a disturbance. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act.
{{/usCountry}}The complaint alleged that Thackeray and his supporters entered the office without permission, removed the photograph, threatened staff, raised slogans and created a disturbance. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act.
{{/usCountry}}Thackeray said on Monday that the first police case of his political career was linked to an agitation concerning Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “If the second offence is also registered for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I will be happy,” he said.